stafford



C W. STAFFORD.

Shell.

Patented Aug; 4, 1363.-

'llrvirnn. starts PATENT @rrrcn.

(1. \V. STAFFORD, O1? XEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT 5N INCENDIARY SUB -CALIBER PRDJECTILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39, h2, dated .\ugust 4, 1863.

(LZZ whom; it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, OrIARLns W. Srin- 'FORI), of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Sub-Caliber Incendiary Shot or Shell; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the'sanie, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

'making part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front view of my said shot. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

The subject of my present invention is a sub-caliber shot or shell adapted to carry an incendiary material into a cavity which it may produce in an opposing body.

The invention further consists in a peculiar construction of parts, whereby the incendiary material is confined. in a suitable chamber around the central core of the shot or shell and within the area of the cutting or punching face thereof; also, in devices for opening the chamber and releasing the incendiary material at the proper period.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents a central core or bolt, which .maybe made solid, of east-iron, wrought-iron,

or steel, and with an external form substantially as represented in Fig. 2. At its forward end is a cutting or punching face, a, from which, for onethird (more or less) of the length of the bolt, it extends backward in an approximately cylindrical form with little or no taper.

13 represents a w rought-iron casing, of cylindrical form, fitting at its forward end in a ralr bet, I), of depth equal to the thickness of the shell B, so that when in position the periphcry of the shell or casing B will be flush with the periphery of the large front portion of the bolt A. The rear end, a, of the bolt is turned off to a size to fit closely within the cylindrical casing B, as clearly represented in Fig. 2. The intermediate portion, a of the boltis made of reduced diameter, so as to form within the cylindrical casing an annular chamber, 0, which is to be filled with an incendiary material. (Indicated by the red tint in Fig. 2.)

lubricating material.

1) represents a screw-plug closing an apen ture, (I, through which the chamber 0 may be filled. v

P represents a vial inserted through the aperture (1, containing any suitable spontaneously-combustible compound, which, when released and exposed to the atmosphere, will i gnite the contents of the chamber G.

E is a sabot constructed with a conical front to impart the necessary rigidity and strength, and with a central aperture to fit over the rear end of the casing B.

F is a pin so connecting the sabot E and bolt A as to prevent their separate or independent rotation. secured a concave disk, G, divided at its periphery into two flanges, g g, and undivided toward the center. The space between the flanges g and between the disk G and sabot E may be filled with saturated H represents a broad band, fittinggnpon the forward part of the shot A and covering and securing the front end of the casing B, so as to prevent its displacement until the proper time. The band H is connected by oblique or spiral arms I I with an encircling ring, J, whose external diameter is equal to the internal diameter of the bore of the piece with which the pro- .jectile is to be used.

1/ represents a shoulder formed on the periphery of the sh0t,to support the band H 1011 gitudinally and prevent the displacement of the bearing II I J by its inertia at the instant of starting or by friction against the bore. The band H and the bases of the arms I I are made broad to give them the necessary stren gth, and the said arms tap er outward to a breadth equal. to that of the ring J. The peripheries of the ring .I and the sabot E are turned off to fit the bore as accurately as possible consistentlywith ease of load. The bearing II I J may be cast in one piece of brass or malleable iron, and

both this and the rear bearing or sabot, E, be-

ing turned from the center of the shot after being placed in position on the latter, serve to center and guide the shot with perfect precision within the bore.

The operation is as follows: The first effect of the explosion of the charge in the gun is to expand the packing-disk G and drive its periphery into the grooves of the gun, by means of which rotation is imparted to the shot To the rear of the sabot E is firmly tow or other through the medium of the sabot E. Thebearing H I J supports and guides the front of the shot accurately through the center of the bore, and on its leaving the gun the resistance of the atmosphere removes-the sabot E, and, acting against the oblique or spiral arms I, maintains the rotation imparted by the rifle-lands. The skeleton form of the bearing II I J is likewise beneficial in reducing its inertia, and consequent danger of displacement, at starting, and lessening the atmospheric resistance during its flight. On striking an opposing body, the cutting-face a punches out an equal or greater area of the metal or other material, and as the r 7 bolt enters the solid body the resistance of the latter strips off the bearing II I J ,-releasing the casing B,cwhich is then ruptured or partially removed by friction against the sides of the aperture. The concussion also breaks the bottle I and the material therein contained ignites the incendiary material within the 021s ing B, and the said incendiary material being liberated, as before explained, will set on fire any combustible substance within its reach; or, if the vial be charged with a poisonous material, the missile may be made to destroy the lives of all within a vessel or other structure which it may enter- The invention thus at fords means of charging shells with poisonous materials in sealed bottles, which could be introduced and used in no other way.

The wroughtiron casing 13 is highly advantageous in imparting strength to the shot, and permitting the core a to be of small diameter.

IIaving thus described my invention,what I as described, to retain the contents of the chamber C during the flight of the projectile, and discharge it within the cavity formed thereby.

0. W. STAFFORD. Vitnesses:

OOTAVIUS KNIGHT, CrL-iRLns Sarrrjr-r. 

